Einstein's Heroes: Imagining the World through the Language of Mathematics

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Robyn Arianrhod (Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Gembrook, VIC, United States)

Einstein's Heroes

Imagining the World through the Language of Mathematics

Robyn Arianrhod (Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, Monash University, Gembrook, VIC, United States)

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
15 August 2013

Biography: science, technology & engineering; Mathematics & Sciences; History of mathematics; History of science; Popular science; Mathematical physics

Imagine you are fluent in a magical language of prophecy, a language so powerful it can accurately describe things you cannot see or even imagine. Einstein's Heroes takes you on a journey of discovery about just such a miraculous language--the language of mathematics--one of humanity's most amazing accomplishments.

Blending science, history, and biography, this remarkable book reveals the mysteries of mathematics, focusing on the life and work of three of Albert Einstein's heroes: Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, and especially James Clerk Maxwell, whose work directly inspired the theory of relativity. Robyn Arianrhod bridges the gap between science and literature, portraying mathematics as a language and arguing that a physical theory is a work of imagination involving the elegant and clever use of this language. The heart of the book illuminates how Maxwell, using the language of mathematics in a new and radical way, resolved the seemingly insoluble controversy between Faraday's idea of lines of force and Newton's theory of action-at-a-distance. In so doing, Maxwell not only produced the first complete mathematical description of electromagnetism, but actually predicted the existence of the radio wave, teasing it out of the mathematical language itself.

Here then is a fascinating look at mathematics: its colorful characters, its historical intrigues, and above all its role as the uncannily accurate language of nature.

By: Robyn Arianrhod (Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics Monash University Gembrook VIC United States)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 201mm, Width: 137mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 249g
ISBN: 9780195308907
ISBN 10: 0195308905
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 15 August 2013
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robyn Arianrhod is a writer and mathematician whose passion for both literature and mathematics reflects her love of language. She teaches mathematics at Monash University, where she is also an Honorary Research Associate.

Reviews for Einstein's Heroes: Imagining the World through the Language of Mathematics

<br> Arianrhod is an infectiously enthusiastic writer, keen for her audience both to admire Einstein's heroes and to understand their contributions to fundamental mathematical physics. --Physics Nature<br> Arianrhod's achievement is to so masterfully combine history, biography, and mathematics as to absorb and enlighten even the mathematically maladroit. --Booklist<br> An intriguing blend of science, history, and biography.... Arianrhod's well-written, fascinating discussion of intertwined topics not usually presented in one book aimed at general readers is highly recommended. --Library Journal (starred review)<br> A thrilling story.... Arianrhod is an easy author to like, and not simply for the clarity of her narrative. She brings out the human side of the scientists. She also is a student of imaginative prose: Her explication of a novel by the Australian David Malouf helps introduce ideas about mathematics, and she quotes the poet William Blake to crystallize a thought about Maxwell.